Ekiti to review 2013 budget

Ekiti State’s 2013 Budget is to be revised to ensure the speedy completion of ongoing projects.

This was part of the resolutions reached at the Second Executive-Legislative Parley, which held from Wednesday to Saturday at the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resorts in Ikogosi-Ekiti.

The parley was attended by Governor Kayode Fayemi; his deputy, Prof. Dupe Adelabu; members of the State Executive Council; members of the House of Assembly and Ekiti lawmakers in the National Assembly.

The participants said the eight-point agenda of the Fayemi administration has improved infrastructure and attracted investors to the state.

According to a statement issued at the end of the parley, the budget should be revised to ensure the completion of ongoing capital projects.

It was also resolved that the Mid-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) that informed the 2013 Budget should be updated and extended to 2016. This is to be reflected in next year’s budget.

The MTEF for 2014 and 2015 should cover agriculture, education, health, urban and physical planning, lands, tourism and infrastructure.

It was resolved that government agencies should design a sustainable plan to improve Internally-Generated Revenue (IGR), as the state could no longer rely on Federal Allocation.

The plan must include clear measures to capture existing revenue sources, expand the revenue base and block all loopholes, as well as leakages.

It was resolved that a Stakeholders’ Forum, comprising individuals and groups from political and economic boundaries, should be convened to help the government restore the core values of integrity, hard work and honesty that define Ekiti people.

The parley recommended a census of ongoing and abandoned federal projects in Ekiti to inform advocacy for a better deal from Abuja.

It urged the Executive to support the Legislature to undertake its law-making, appropriation and oversight responsibilities.

The parley hailed the government’s investment in the Ikogosi Warm Spring Resort.